Recent technology convergence between mobile phones and digital media players, such as with the iPhone™, are increasingly placing small, portable devices capable of storing large amounts of high-resolution computer graphics and even video content in the hands of consumers. While these handheld devices typically include a display screen, the visual experience of a high-resolution, large format display can never be replicated in such a device, simply because of the physical size limitations expected of a hand held device.
As a result, consumers are now seeking high-quality, portable, color displays to augment their handheld video devices. One such display is worn on the user's face or head similar to a pair of eyeglasses or headphones. Through recent dramatic developments in optical technologies, these devices can provide the appearance of a large format, high-resolution display.
One example of such a device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,088,234 issued to Naito, et al. and assigned to Matsushita Electrical Industries. The wearable information device described in that patent can display certain information to notify the user, e.g., information about arrival of an e-mail, etc.
Another such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,158,096 issued to Spitzer and assigned to MyVu Corporation. That device includes a projection type display attached to one end of a head-mountable support. An eyepiece assembly is attached to a second end of the support. The support maintains the projection system and the eyepiece assembly in alignment along an optical path.
Unfortunately while such head-mounted displays have found some use they do not provide the best viewing experience in all situations. For example, a number of decisions must be made by the designer of such a device with respect to their mechanical packaging and styling. That is, these head-mounted display arrangements invariable require some sort of apparatus to permit the user to mount the device on their head, and then find an optimal position for the display relative to the user's eye. The inherent constraints of such a device thus do not provide optimal viewing comfort for all users.
Secondly, such prior art head worn displays are limiting in the overall functions that can be performed. Such tasks can include viewing images, graphics, or movies with audio. This can be for gaming purposes or recreational viewing of images from a television broadcast or video. Such prior art head worn displays are severely limited in connection with other day-to-day desired functional computing tasks. For example, the user may desire to use the display in connection with communication tasks, web browsing, running business applications, active navigation tasks, mobile instruction with real time updates or using the display to wirelessly control other devices that the user regularly uses (or comes in contact with) on a day-to-day basis. These secondary devices can include a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a mobile phone, a vehicle, a wireless network, devices associated with a wireless service hot spot, a thin client, or other electronic devices or appliances. Such prior art head worn displays often cannot interface with (or slave) such devices to initiate and control running programs, initiate real time device functional changes, alter real time device operational parameters, enable local or remote wireless communication with mobile devices and/or otherwise perform wireless networks and services.
Thirdly, such prior art devices are not readily upgradeable to provide other functions that the user may desire. A user may desire, in some locations, to have some functional attributes of a particular software application or a particular hardware configuration, while in other locations the user may not desire to have those software applications or hardware configurations. In fact, the user may not use such a heavy display device with multiple heavy hardware configurations, and additional connections and drives and instead may wish to remove unnecessary hardware from the device so the device remains lightweight.
Fourth, users would enjoy more compact mobile devices that can access important data that are lightweight, and do not require users to carry relatively larger, and bulkier computers, such as notebook computers, laptops, tablet computing devices, or relatively larger media players. Additionally, users, when they do carry their laptops, often have to flip the laptop open, then boot the machine, which takes time. This is disfavored, especially, when the user wants a specific information quickly, such as, an address, e-mail, or relevant text from an e-mail attachment, while traveling.
Microsoft Windows SideShow™ is a software program that is in an operating system (OS) that supports a secondary screen on a mobile personal computer, such as a laptop computer, that is generally disposed on the rear of the laptop cover. With this additional secondary display, a user can access the Microsoft Windows SideShow™ software program to display images on the secondary display while the computer is in sleep mode or turned on or off.
Microsoft Windows SideShow™ uses convenient mini programs called Gadgets. These Gadget programs extend information from the laptop to other devices. Gadgets can run on computers operating with Microsoft Windows SideShow™ and update devices with information from the computer. Gadgets may allow viewing of information from the computer regardless of whether it is on, off, or in sleep mode. This saves power and a user's time by not requiring booting of the computer.
These gadget software programs are limiting and users desire a software gadget that permits wireless access to the laptop computer without the need to use any input device to continuously monitor. Additionally, users desire great amounts of information from the computer while the laptop computer, or PC, is on, off, or in sleep mode.